AutographHelper

Experiences:
Experiences from June, July, and August 2009: Atlanta Braves Games, Gwinnett Braves Games, Rome
Braves Game, Dale Murphy @ Tennessee Smokies, "Shop with the Braves" @ Publix, Chipper Jones @
the Atlanta Buckarama, Atlanta Falcon's "Roam the Dome", Georgia Tech's "The Great Jacket
Encounter", and more…
By: Chad Blake

Baseball, baseball, baseball! Needless to say, the last few months have been mainly "America's Pastime". We had some really good
luck with some of the opposing teams that came to Atlanta and to Gwinnett. We even took a trip up north about four hours to
Knoxville to see a Brave's legend. As August came, so did the start of football and we had some good luck with the best team in
Georgia, Georgia Tech.

I love the Braves and I enjoy watching their games on television and going to see them play, but they are getting harder and harder
to collect autographs from. It doesn't matter if you are a woman or a child, most of these guys, except Gonzalez and Medlen, either
never come over or rarely sign. Also, the opposing team can be tough to judge; they might have a long losing streak, exhausted from
a long trip, problems at home, their bus, and whatever else might bother us all. Although many of the opposing players don't always
stop, occasionally you can get a Tim Lincecum, Derrick Lee, or a Will Clark to stop and sign. For me, Clark was one of my
favorite players growing up and he was a great addition for my collection to add to my wall. We had some luck, but it is always
exhausting to go down there, so I will be glad when the season finally ends. One of the bright spots for me was finally meeting Dale
Murphy in Atlanta. Dale signed before the Greg Maddux Braves hall of fame ceremony. We got a couple of baseballs signed, but I
really wanted a bat signed, which is never the easiest thing to bring into the stadium. All and all it has been a good season so far and
we still have about a month to go, so hopefully I will have a few more successes' to share.

On came the minor league games; with Gwinnett, Rome, and Tennessee. We have been to about 15 Gwinnett Braves' games and
we have had a little luck with Gwinnett, but most of what has been successful has been the opposing teams. We got David Price,
Matt Wieters, and Chris Tillman before they got called up to start their MLB careers. It has been a lot of fun and hopefully these
guys will continue their great careers for a long time to come. The stadium is a little too nice to me, for a minor league park, but you
get to see some pretty good baseball with a mixture of former major leaguers and soon to be professionals. One of my favorite
parks is the home of the Rome Braves. The baseball isn't as refined, but you get to see a 17 or 18 year old before he even knows
how good he is. You also get to see guys play odd games during a rain delay similar to what you would find at a little league park.
You are taking your chances with spending a lot on them, but all the guys have to start somewhere. We have only gone to two
games there, but we got some pretty good prospects like Wilmer Flores and even got to see Omar Infante and Buddy Carlyle
rehab. If you haven't gone, go check them out before the season is over, tickets are cheap and most everything is reasonable, at
least compared to Atlanta.

One trip I really wanted to make was to go and check out Dale Murphy at the Tennessee Smokies' home. It was a last minute
decision, but was well worth it. Even though it took us over four hours to get there, we had a great time at the game and really
enjoyed everything the stadium had to offer. We ended up getting two bats and two baseballs signed, so I didn't have to wait long to
get my bats! Fortunately, Landon and Kimberly were able to get a foul ball and a game used bat from a couple of the Smokies'
players. Just by chance the Smokies were playing the Mississippi Braves, so were able to get Jason Heyward and Freddie Freeman
a few times. Even though it was after four in the morning when we finally got home, it was a fun trip and we had some good success.

Even though most of the Braves don't volunteer autographs, they do a few things that are open to the public; like the Derek Lowe
and Tommy Hanson can drives, the CNN Center signings, and most recently their Publix "Shop with the Braves" events. The last
one we went to had Kenshin Kawakami, Kris Medlen, and Boone Logan at one of the Duluth Publix shopping centers. This event
was great for our auctions and we were able to get a few baseballs and a few photos from each of them. Hopefully the next events
will have a couple of bigger names, but at least they are willing to do them.

Speaking of willing to do something out of the ordinary, Chipper Jones finally did an autograph session at the Buckarama just south
of Atlanta. Although it had nothing to do with the Braves organization, Chipper did do an autograph signing for his hunting company,
Buck Commander. We were fortunate enough to get through the autograph line a couple of times. We ended up getting a couple of
baseballs, two bats, a poster, and a bobblehead signed by Chipper. Plus at the end we were able to buy six Buck Commander hats
with Chipper's autograph on them. Considering Chipper doesn't do a lot of signing in his home town, we were really happy to obtain
his autograph on some items we have had for a while. In fact I just hung up my newly signed Chipper poster and it adds a nice new
piece to our collection. Hopefully Chipper will do some more signings soon.

Finally some football! Without the Falcons 365 stores, autographs by the Falcons have been a little harder to come by. Michael
Turner, DJ Shockley, and Brian Finneran did do a signing at the PGA Tour Superstore in Duluth earlier this year, but that has been
about it. I made a trip to training camp, but they changed it up a little and only some of the defensive lineman came over to sign. The
next big event was the Atlanta Falcons' "Roam the Dome" event, which was poorly run and wasn't very fan friendly for a lot of
families, but since I didn't expect too much from it, we had a decent time. The best autograph was from John Parker Wilson, which
will be good for our Alabama auctions. We did get to see some football and my son was able to get a few pieces of game worn
equipment from a few of the players. I hate to say it, but the Falcons have slipped some as far as being accommodating to their fans.
Hopefully they will pick it up as the season goes along.

Just as they did last year, Georgia Tech's football event "The Great Jacket Encounter" was the best autograph event so far. First,
you get to go on to the field and you can get pictures that you could never get otherwise. Second, if you timed it correctly, you could
get the entire team. We came close to getting everyone, but our focus was on some of the skill players that probably won't be
around after this season. We got every photo signed except two of them, so it was a lot of fun and it really helped our local auctions.
I wish all the Yellow Jackets luck this year and hopefully they will repeat their success from last year.

The past month and half were fun considering Landon turned three and we had a nice party for him. Kimberly graduated from
college and we had a great party for her. Plus, being busy with work, it made for a busy last few months. I wish everyone a bunch
of luck out there. As always be polite and respectful of everyone getting and giving autographs.

Experiences from all over the Southeast: Atlanta Braves Games, Gwinnett Braves Games, Falcons Rookie
Event, Hines Ward Carwash, Bruce Sutter at Chevrolet, Dominique Wilkins at the Jazz Festival, and
more…
By: Chad Blake

I know it has been awhile since I have written much, but we have been so busy with Kimberly finishing up school and just having a
two year old is exhausting. On top of all of this, we have gotten away and done some fun autograph signings. From minor league
parks to the professionals at Turner Field, we have been just about everywhere around Georgia and even some trips just over the
border.

The Atlanta Braves games have been fun, but are always a trek from our house. I truly wish they had better planning with the
stadium and moved it more towards North Atlanta, but that isn't the case, so as we battle traffic and time getting to the ballpark
early can be tricky. Due to showing homes in East Atlanta during lunch, we decided that we would give it a try and hang out before
the game and try and get some autographs. For the most part, the Braves have been a real pain to try and get an autograph from.
About the only player that you are assured would be, Mr. Nice Guy, Mike Gonzalez. Mike is always a true gentleman and takes a
couple of minutes to sign for the fans. Honestly, I have gotten his autograph so many times; I don't even know what else to get him
on. Every now and then you can get some of the other players, but forget Chipper, Anderson, Kotchman, or any of the bigger
players. I hear traveling to other cities allows better opportunities to get these guys, but getting the opposing teams are fine by me.
When Colorado was in town, we were able to get a few autographs from: Huston Street, Jason Marquis, Jason Grilli, Todd Helton,
Dexter Fowler, Seth Smith, Matt Murton, and their manager at the time, Clint Hurdle, plus a couple others on cards. We did pretty
well with these guys inside the stadium and I have to say they were some of the more fan friendly players I have seen in a while. One
of the days we were down there, we ran into Don Sutton and grabbed a couple of autographs and he was nice enough to hook us
up with four tickets, which were behind homeplate and were 13 rows back from the netting. I had heard Mr. Sutton is a little rough
with the fans sometimes, but if you treat him with respect, he can also be extremely gracious. Besides the Rockies, we also gave the
Blue Jays a shoot and, boy were we disappointed. For the most part, they wouldn't even acknowledge that anyone was there. At
the most, their were about ten people asking these guys for autographs and if it weren't for Michael Barrett, Lyle Overbay, and
Jason Frasor, then it would have been a complete loss. Remember that is over two days and Jason was the only one who stopped
to sign after batting practice and he only stopped because he had family there. I understand it is a hit or miss hobby, but at least
acknowledge your fans and the kids that are there watching you. Teams like the Rockies make it fun to collect, but teams like the
Blue Jays make you wonder why you waste your time with this hobby.

After the Blue Jays, the only saving grace was going to try and get Dominique Wilkins' autograph at the Jazz Festival. Dominique
can be an interesting character when it comes to autographs and signings, but he usually is willing to at least sign one. After waiting
an hour, they finally gave themselves about 15 minute to have Dominique sign and they stated that he would only sign the cards
provided, which were nothing more than a postcard sized advertisement. I understand doing that sort of thing, but they should
advertise and state that ahead of time. Not to get too much into what was said, we had some choice words for the person running
the event and quickly they started allowing one extra item signed as you went through the line. The NBA and Hawks have a good
product, but they do such a poor job marketing it to just one part of town, by not expanding themselves all over the place. If they
took the time to look in the stands, they would see it is much more diverse and could make some more money if they did anything
outside of the city limits. The NBA is by far the worst in the community and the Atlanta Spirit is by far the worst run organization in
Atlanta and across the country. That aside, we did end up with an autographed basketball and UGA jersey for one of our auctions
we did later that week, so it wasn't a total waste and honestly Dominique was willing to do that for the fans when most others might
have said no.

Off to the minor leagues. I really enjoy going all over Georgia and the country and checking out different stadiums. There is
something special and exciting seeing smaller venues and watching the game so close up for less than $100. Over the years, we have
enjoyed getting to know the prospects and collecting their autographs. It is always a risk, but sometimes it does payoff and you get
to watch the next Glavine or Chipper before they make it big. We have gone to a few different Gwinnett Braves games and were
able to rack up on a few Matt Wieters and David Price items before they got called up. It adds an extra interest to the game and if
you have a good experience with the players, it makes it enjoyable to root for them. On the same topic, if they are jerks then it
makes it easy to root against them. Fortunately, our experiences with most of the minor leaguers have been good. Gwinnett has a
decent stadium, but it is a little too nice for me. I like the smaller and quainter stadiums and fortunately for us, we have Rome which
is a little over an hour away from us, and you really get to see some of baseball at its purest. Having two minor league stadiums so
close to my favorite team, really makes it fun to watch the best of the best before they make it to the major leagues. On top of the
other Braves teams, we have many other stadiums that are close by and one that we recently hit was the Greenville Drive. Recently,
we have had a few future Hall of Famers making rehab starts, which is always a great place to watch them play. We are hoping to
check out a few more stadiums before the season is over and hopefully they are as much fun as all the stadiums we have visited so
far.

One of the events that wasn't across town and even had a great Hall of Famer was the Bruce Sutter autograph signing at Day's
Chevrolet in Acworth, Georgia. If you don't know where Day's is, it is in North Atlanta, just up I-75 and Highway 41. This was a
great event with free food and we were able to get a lot of autographs and I was able to add one of the nicest pieces from Bruce
Sutter as he signed my bat with all of his stats on it. Day's also supplied an 8x10 collage with his Hall of Fame stats and pictures on
it. Bruce is actually involved with a lot of charities and he is even on the board of directors with one of the charities we work with,
The Devereux Center. Bruce is not only an excellent philanthropist, but he also took some great pictures with us and made it a very
good experience.

Sometimes events can be really good without even expecting them to be. This was the case for the Atlanta Falcons Rookies signing
at the PGA Superstore in Duluth, Georgia. Even though the rookie class wasn't the sexiest draft class for the Falcons, there should
be a few starters from this class. Not only was the entire draft class there, but also all of the new free agents were there. We got a
lot of things signed and even a couple of mini helmets from everyone in attendance, plus Kimberly got a great picture with Mike
Smith. Hopefully the Falcons will continue with all their success and keep doing autograph signings even without their Falcons 365
stores.

Besides the trip to Greenville, South Carolina, the most interesting thing we have done lately was the Hines Ward Celebrity
Carwash. Hines had a bunch of players come out to his carwash and some of them signed autographs. This event could have been
one of the best signings ever and even though it turned out alright, it was still disappointing that some players, mainly Steelers,
weren't willing to sign for about 50 fans that came out to support them. Hines was great about signing, we ended with about five
items signed by him and got a multi-signed football by: Chris Hope of the Tennessee Titans, Deshea Townsend of the Pittsburgh
Steelers, Hines Ward of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Dennis Dixon of the Pittsburgh Steelers, LaMarr Woodley of the Pittsburgh
Steelers, Bryant McFadden of the Arizona Cardinals, and James Farrior of the Pittsburgh Steelers. On top of getting these guys,
Takeo Spikes and Jerome Bettis, were there eating and tried to sneak out the back door, but we did end up getting Jerome on one
football. I just don't understand why they didn't take ten minutes out of their time and make everyone happy. They had some
diehard Steelers fans (dressed in jerseys with terrible towels) there and it would have truly made their day or even year to get some
of their favorite player's autographs. All and all it went alright and it was worth going to, but it always makes me wonder why they
can't take a few minutes to sign, especially when they were the ones who stated they would sign.

Things have been really busy and we have had some good days and some ok days, but that is part of what makes this hobby
interesting. With most of baseball season still left and football not too far away, I am sure that I will see many of you out there soon.
Continue all your luck and let me know if I can help you out in anyway, especially if you have an auction or event that might need
memorabilia or an athlete signing at. As always, be polite and don't be greedy and make it fun for everyone.

Experiences from Spring Training (3/4/09-3/12/09, Florida, Spring Training)
By: Chad Blake

A lot of driving and a lot of experiences that could only happen in Florida during Spring Training Games!!! Puerto Rico vs. Rays.
The trip started early on Wednesday morning, with Chad and Tyler picking me up, and our first stop was to the Tampa Bay Rays
spring training facility in Port Charlotte, Florida. It took us almost ten hours to get there and this particular stadium is in the middle of
nowhere and used to be the Texas Rangers spring training, so it was new to the Rays' fans. Needless to say, one trip to the World
Series spawns a lot of new fans and people who claim they were always a Tampa Bay fan. The stadium was pretty well packed out
as they played against Puerto Rico and even drew a lot of the flag waving, drum beating, and bell ringing fans of Puerto Rico. It
makes for a much more interesting game to see the Hispanic speaking fans react to their teams than the boring American fans that
just eat peanuts and stretch during the 7th inning. However, most of the time, unless you speak the native language of the teams or
players, they are lousy signers for an older American male, like me. That said most of the young American born players have started
doing the same. As I digress, we didn't have any luck with Puerto Rico and besides Tyler getting a signed Evan Longoria ball; most
of the autographs we got were from young guys like: Fernando Perez, Tim Beckham, Winston Abreu, James Shields, and Chris
Nowak. Longoria has already started an attitude about signing and Tim Beckham was about as rude and arrogant of a player as I
have ever met. He tried passing over us and was way too cocky for a kid who hasn't done anything yet. I even heard one of the
younger Rays players turn an eight year old kid down for an autograph, just because the kid didn't know his name. It is a sad state
of affairs when a player could make a fan for life just by signing his name, but instead is a jerk about signing for his own team's fan.
Although the stadium was nice, the autographs were few, so we left hoping to have a better tomorrow.

USA vs. Phillies. Need I say more about watching some of today's greats play together on the same field? We had stayed at a hotel
near by and got to the stadium as the bus arrived. As we waited for the gates to open, we decided to hang out by the World
Baseball Classic trailer. A few of the USA players were buying stuff (I don't know why they had to buy it there or buy it at all) and it
worked out well to be standing there. Only about 30 or 40 people were waiting to see if the players would come over and boy
were we lucky to be standing there. I have to say that I racked up pretty well that day and you might have heard of these guys as
well. I got individual signed baseballs by: Derek Jeter, Heath Bell (2 times), J. J. Putz (2 times), J. P. Howell, Adam Dunn, David
Wright, Jeremy Guthrie, and Kevin Youkilis. Not bad for only having to wait about 30 minutes in the shade. Unfortunately, we
missed the gate opening and being able to position ourselves near the tunnel, where the players come and go, but all and all it was a
pretty good day, even though we didn't get anyone inside. I have to say that the Phillies stadium was my favorite stadium. Even
though I usually hate the Phillies and Mets, the stadium was the most fun; with a full tiki bar in left field, good looking women
everywhere, relatively inexpensive items for a ballpark, and believe it or not, the nicest fans. It didn't hurt that we got some good
sun, saw some of the world's best player's play in person, and had a few cold ones. After the game, we went outside to see if any of
the players would sign and only one player came over to sign at all, the Padres closer, Heath Bell. Not only was Heath extremely
nice, but he was irritated that none of the other players came over to sign. I like to keep this article PG, but he did make a few funny
comments, e-mail me and I will tell you what he said. Just trust me when I tell you that Heath is definitely someone to root for! As
the day of baseball was ending, our evening was just beginning. In keeping with the PG rating, we hit one pub across the street,
went to the first ever Hooters, and ended our night a little after 2am at a place next door to our hotel. It was a really fun, but long
day and made our trip well worth it.

After just a little bit of sleep, we checked out of our hotel and headed a little South. Pirates vs. Rays. Our focus was to hit the
Pirates and they were all really good signers. I did try the Rays for a little bit, but too many poor attitudes for me, so the rest of the
time was spent over on the Pittsburgh side. The team is really young, but had a bunch of good prospects. Fortunately, Chad knew
Brandon Moss from high school, so we got a few minutes to chat with him. The stadium was older, but was easy to access for
autographs, so it made our job a lot easier to get the guys to sign. When it was all said and done, I ended up with: Pedro Alvarez,
Brandon Moss (2 times), Garrett Jones, Andrew McCutchen, and Craig Monroe. Not feeling 100% and ready to check into our
condo, we left after the game got started and headed to Orlando. We decided to pass on the Braves game that night and decided to
get some rest for the next day.

Finally, a little rested up and off to Kissimmee. Astros vs. Cardinals. This will probably be my last trip to see the Astros play at
home. They added a new rule that only tickets holders can access the dugouts or down the foul lines, except for two small areas at
the end of each foul line. It wasn't the worst way to try and get autographs, but the fact that everything there was almost twice as
expensive, didn't help my feelings about the stadium's new rules. Chad and I had one person who could have made the day a
success, Albert Pujols, we came close, but too many people and not enough time for him to sign. If I knew any Spanish, I probably
would have had better success because the two guys next to me where from his native country of the Dominican Republic and they
got the last two autographs from him. We did however get a handful of autographs from: J. R. Towles of Houston and a few of the
Cardinals; Khalil Greene, Joel Pineiro, Jon Jay, Brett Wallace, Kat Maekawa, Tony La Russa, and Brendan Ryan. If you were
down in Florida for Spring Training then you know who I am talking about, there are two twin curly haired boys who really screw it
up for everyone. Not only are they foul mouthed brats, but they are also old enough to know better. The time will come when either
someone their own age takes care of them or they go to jail, either way works for me. If you know who I am referring to, then you
would agree with me and if you ever see them, just stay in front of them before they screw it up for you too, just like a certain store
owners family in Atlanta. Anyways, the trip there was a little expensive, but we did get a few good autographs. My family arrived
and I figured I only had about two games left, so I tried to get one new stadium to us and take in a Braves game.

After a day at Disney and the pool, we decided to try a new stadium to us, but one of the oldest stadiums in Florida. Tigers vs.
Yankees. Tigertown has been around at this location for 44 years and 73 years in Lakeland. Everything about this place was great;
inexpensive food, cheap parking, and $10 tickets. The only problem, it was awful for autographs. Only a handful of people were
getting autographs and none of the players were walking down the foul line and they kicked everyone out of those areas an hour
before the game. It was our first shutout before a game and if it weren't for a few of the younger players that signed after the game, it
would have been a total bust. We didn't get any Yankee players, but we did end up with: Zach Simons, Rick Porcello, Ramon
Santiago, and Will Rhymes. The guys that did sign were great and really nice, so some are better than none. As our week winded
down and we did more touristy things with the family, I knew we had to make the most out of the last game.

We have five games down and one to go. Braves vs. Nationals. Needless to say that these aren't exactly juggernauts with the WBC
going on and two of the youngest teams in all of baseball. We watched a bunch of batting practice and I was able to get Austin
Kearns of the Nationals, which is one of the few decent players that were there that day. Kimberly got about ten of the Braves to
sign Landon's baseball and we got a bunch of the guys as they left the stadium. Even though we have gotten multiples of many of the
Braves, we did end up with single signed baseballs from: Brandon Jones (2 times), Jair Jurrjens, Mike Gonzalez (3 times), Kelly
Johnson, Cole Rohrbough, Peter Moylan, Freddie Freeman, Kris Medlen, Jordan Schafer, Boone Logan, and Eric O'Flaherty.
Besides the WBC, many of the Braves weren't there, so we really got about the best of the best that day. It did end of a good note
and I know exactly how to do it better next year and I will try and hit the Braves up, when they have more of their players.

The trip was a lot of fun and the family had a safe and good time. I got to see a lot of baseball and even got a few autographs, so the
trip was a success as far as I am concerned. Even though you might have more luck before the games start, there is nothing like
watching Spring Training baseball and feeling the warm sun and smell of freshly cut grass to get you ready for a new baseball
season. As always; have fun, be polite, and good luck out there!!!

Experiences from the Past Week (1/23/09-1/24/09, Senior Bowl and Atlanta
Braves AutographFest)
By: Chad Blake

It is rare that you can expect to have two huge, great events back to back, but that is what we experienced this past weekend. I
knew the weekend would be long, but we were willing to take a chance and we traveled over 900 miles in less than 36 hours, but
we obtained over 200 autographs a piece, so it was well worth it!

The weekend started with a trip from Atlanta to Columbus to pick up my friend Chad and then down to Mobile, Alabama for the
Senior Bowl. And yes his name is Chad as well and we even have the same initials, and we met at 3 a.m. at a gas station in Florida
when we were both going to the Braves Spring Training last year to get autographs, but anyways. Somehow we miscalculated our
trip time, but even though the drive was a little longer than we thought, it went by fast with a lot of stories of sports, autographs, and
of course women. We arrived just after 11am in Mobile and we were just in time for the South Team finishing practice. Chad and I
had to rush over to one of the end zones to catch the players as they left. Between the two of us, we got around 30 autographs and
we were lucky enough to get all three of the USC linebackers (all three should be first round draft picks). Just about all the players
were willing to sign, but it was a little difficult to figure out who they were without their jersey on. After the practice, Chad and I
grabbed a quick bite to eat and headed over to wait in line for the Senior Bowl player autograph session. We got there almost three
hours early and we thought we were at the front of the line, but we weren't really close to it. It was hot and the number of the people
continued to grow to what I would guess would be close to over a thousand people. The majority of the line was there to see all the
Alabama players, who had their own line, so that helped us out. The layout of the event was good, they had seven lines and they
were broken up into conferences and local teams. It would have been impossible to get everyone at this event, but we did pick and
choose which lines to be in and we were very happy with what we obtained. I got an individual football signed by all three of the
USC linebackers and a few of the predicted first round draft picks like B.J. Raji and a jersey by Brandon Pettigrew. We also got a
few mini helmets signed, like all six of the USC players on one helmet, plus a Boston College mini helmet signed by B.J. Raji, and a
ton of signed and unsigned Senior Bowl player cards. On top of all the items we got signed, I also got two different multi signed
footballs started and got at least one autograph from everyone listed here: Coye Francies, Alphonso Smith, Mike Thomas, Patrick
Turner, Chip Vaughn, Brian Cushing, Ashlee Palmer, Thomas Morstead, Antone Smith, Rashad Jennings, Andre Brown, Michael
Hamlin, Clay Matthews, Jake Ingram, Rey Maualuga, Moise Fokou, Michael Oher, Fili Moala, Troy Kropog, Kyle Moore,
Anthony Hill, Robert Ayers, David Veikune, Vance Walker, Macho Harris, Nathan Brown, William Moore, Patrick Chung,
Keenan Lewis, Manuel Johnson, Jeremiah Johnson, Louie Sakoda, Cedric Peerman, Clint Sintim, Alex Mack, Max Unger, Andy
Levitre, Ryan Shuman, Phil Loadholt, Brandon Pettigrew, B.J. Raji, and Ziggy Hood.

After a great day of autographs and an awesome experience with some soon to be NFL players, we had to pack up and head back
towards Georgia. The trip was a little bit longer because we lost an hour coming back and it was just a little after 3am when I
arrived home. It was a long and fun day, but I had to be up at 7am to leave for the Braves AutographFest. Just know that I was
looking out for everyone because I stayed up until 4am changing Autograph Helper! Even though the clock said I got a few hours of
sleep, it sure didn't feel like it. We had one day down and one more to go.

Even though the morning came quick; Kimberly, Landon, Marie, and I were off to Turner Field. Not knowing exactly what to
expect from the Braves, we were still a little cautious about the outcome of AutographFest. We all knew about the debacle of last
year's FanFest and that is probably one reason the lines were as short as they were. The other reasons were a lot of rain and a lack
of all the stars from the past not being here anymore. After about an hour wait, we went in and headed towards the Derek Lowe
and Terry Pendleton line. Not realizing before hand, but anyone with the Elite Pass was allowed two autographs per player and we
had two wristbands, so that meant four items per player. This worked out perfect for us because it allowed us to work on a team
ball and get everything we wanted and a little more. I had actually met up with a couple of friends at Turner Field and gave one
wristband to Kimberly and the other one to Marie. I figured I would let Marie go through the line and meet the players and enjoy
the experience because she had never done anything like this before. I was in charge of my son, Landon, and looking after all the
stuff we brought, plus the things of a couple of other people. To everyone who took the time to talk to me and about the website, I
appreciated all the positive feedback and I am glad everyone had such a good time. The event went great and in fact we ran out of
stuff to get signed at the very end, I am glad the players had stickers and hats to sign. We ended up getting at least four items from
everyone like: Brian McCann, Bobby Cox, Derek Lowe, Tommy Hanson, Jason Heyward, Phil Niekro, and everyone that was on
the list. One of the benefits of getting so many extras was being able to pass them on to you. If you couldn't go to the event, check
out our e-bay site and feel free to e-mail with any questions. All and all it turned out well for us and the Braves. It would have been
nice to have the Braves Foundation Booth selling items and a couple of port-a-potties outside. Other than that, less was more this
year. I know it wasn't intentional and it got changed a bunch of times, but this was the best AutographFest or FanFest so far. Great
job Braves and you will not only see more of us at the stadium, but you still have a family full of Braves Fans!

The two days were long and exhausting, but everything went better than we could have planned. Thanks again to everyone that kept
me company at AutographFest and Chad for keeping me awake on our trip. As the season grows closer and Spring Training is only
a month away, a great AutographFest has allowed us to focus on the other teams for autographs down in Florida. See you at the
next event, and as always have fun out there and keep passing us along!

Venture Sports Shows/Autograph Helper, 10th Annual "Toys for Tots" Toy Drive:

First and foremost, I would like to say "Thank You" to everyone who came out and supported this great event. This was our best
and largest "Toys for Tots" so far. We had over 60 Celebrities and Athletes sign autographs in exchange for toys. We raised the
equivalent of over $300,000 worth of toys. Our goal was $300,000 and we hit it right before Christmas!!! The event was awesome
and we hope to make it bigger and better for next year.

The first day was Friday and it started a little slow, but by the end of the day, I had one of the more interesting and fun experiences
of my life. To start the day off, we had former football players, Eric Matthews and Dewey McClain, signing and then two of the
WNBA players, Nikki Teasley and Chantelle Anderson, from the Atlanta Dream started signing. One of my favorite local baseball
players, Jim Poole, signed a few photos for us and we also had a couple of former NFL players, Izell Reese and Curtis Bumgarner,
sign many different items for all the fans that showed up. Everyone seemed to be having a good time and we were collecting a lot of
toys. The most interesting conversations were towards the end of the day with Sam Baker of the Atlanta Falcons, William Andrews
(Former Falcons Great and Ring of Honor Member), Otis Nixon (Atlanta Braves), Dewey McClain (Atlanta Falcons), Frank
Thomas (Pittsburgh Pirates, Mets, and more), Bill Borden (One of only 540 people to finish the Iditarod-Alaskan Dog Sled Race),
Eileen Steil (Only American woman to finish the Deca-Ironman Race and yes that is 10 Ironmans in a row), and many more joined
in. The conversations and situations are some that I can't repeat, but it was very free spirited and funny and entertaining stories were
shared by all. Knowing that we were off to a good start on Friday, I knew the crowds were still to come, so as I went home
thinking and laughing of the past day, we still had a long weekend ahead of us.

Saturday was another great experience and it started with a bang. Our doors opened at 10 am, but the line was wrapped around
the side of the building and down the sidewalk. Over 300 people waited in line until we were able to open the doors and let the fun
begin. Everyone was in a good mood even despite some cold weather. The autographs started and the stack of toys was growing.
We were fortunate enough to have some of the greatest local sports icons of our time, such as: Phil Niekro (Hall of Famer with the
Atlanta Braves), Tommy Nobis (Ring of Honor Member and Future NFL Hall of Famer), Cecil Fielder (Multiple MLB All-Star),
William Andrews (Atlanta Falcons), Scott Case (Atlanta Falcons Pro Bowler), Zane Smith (Atlanta Braves), Kimberly Gittings
(Miss Georgia USA), Brooke Fletcher (Miss Georgia Teen USA), Dan Bouchard (Atlanta Flames Goalie), Craig Skok (Atlanta
Braves), Frank Thomas (MLB Great), James "Red" Moore (Negro League All-Star), Frank Mestnik (Green Bay Packers), Eric
Matthews (New York Jets), Bob Pickens (Chicago Bears), Brad Lester (Auburn Tigers), Cal Warlick (Sports Artist), Greg Russell
(NHRA Artist), and former football players like Jim Nemeth, Lawrence Smith, and Edgar Fields. I hope that I didn't leave anybody
out, but when you have that many celebrities show up to sign autographs within about a five hour period, it is hard to keep up with
everyone! With everyone signing, time flew by and before we realized it, Tommy Nobis had signed for an hour and a half and Phil
Niekro stayed for a little over two hours. It wasn't just these two gentlemen, but many of our celebrities stayed past their time
because everyone was having such a good time. Along with the day of celebrity signings, the vendors were selling like crazy and the
live auction at the end of the day was a huge success. The day was long and the toys that we were able to raise were just amazing.
We filled up the entire front wall, from the floor to the ceiling, and it was there for everyone to see through the front glass. It was just
like a thermometer and we could see the stack growing towards our goal. As the day came to an end, I know we ended up with
some great autographs ourselves and great feeling of accomplishment throughout the building.

Our final day was a good one to wind down the event. Sunday brought Frank Thomas and Eric Matthews back and a few new
faces with Nick Green (Atlanta Braves and New York Yankees), Trent Mayo (Country Music Star), Phil Schaefer (Hall of Fame
Broadcaster) and many more. We also had some great items up for bid on our silent auction and I know some people walked away
with great items. During the final few hours, we also had Fox 5 News show up and film a little of our event and also filmed Doug
Reid receiving the "Commander in Chief" award, the top award for raising toys for "Toys for Tots". Doug has received the award 8
years in a row and that is something to be very proud of. As the weekend was coming to an end, the Marines showed up and
loaded up all the toys in a huge truck. The last item of business was waiting a couple of days to hear our final tally of toys and we
were not disappointed.

Our 10th Annual "Toys for Tots" Toy Drive was a huge success and again, I want to thank everyone: Athletes, Vendors, Sponsors,
The Marine Corp and All of YOU! Without everyone donating their time, money, and effort, we wouldn't have been able to help
out one child, and with all the help we made over 30,000 kid's Christmas days memorable. Thank You again and God Bless!

Experiences from the Past Week (11/06/08-11/14/08: Kevin Brown's Celebrity Golf Tournament Event @
Bass Pro Shop in Macon, Warrick Dunn's Book Signing @ Barnes and Noble, Atlanta Falcon's FalCan
Drive @ Falcons 365, Danica Patrick @ ESPN Zone, Keith Brooking and Jessie Tuggle with the Falcon's
Face to Face @ ESPN Zone, and BP Sports Mega Show)

I have never been so glad to have a week of autographs over! Every day was an event that we felt we just couldn't miss and it was
also about as interesting and surprising of a week getting autographs as I have ever had. The best part of the week, was getting to
meet all the great new people and getting to know everyone I already knew, a little bit better. It is a lot more fun standing in line
when you can have good conversations and share some different ideas about collecting autographs.

It takes a really good event for us to go outside of metro Atlanta, but we just couldn't pass on Kevin Brown's event at the Bass Pro
Shop in Macon. We had been helping promote the event and Jaime was great to deal with and even gave us a few free passed to
the auction and dinner. They had about 20 different celebrities show up and sign autographs and we had an item for every person
that was there. Everyone was really good about signing and we added a very interesting variety of signed items to our collection.
They had a little bit of every type of celebrity: Baseball players, Football players, Actors, Emmy Award Winning Producers, Young
and Old. You can tell by the pictures that we were able to get a lot signed. Some of the more popular athletes that signed for us
were: Kevin Brown, Kenny Rogers, Charley Trippi, Keith Lockhart, Jeff Blauser, Doug Johnson, and many more. We got
everything signed, except our Sports Illustrated cover of Kevin Brown. Kevin apparently had a really bad experience with SI
printing false statements about him in the article, so I can completely understand him not supporting them. It is really rare to see that
in athletes nowadays, but he was more than happy to sign anything else and even gave us an extra signed card in return. The
autograph signing was a lot of fun and hopefully some of the same athletes will be willing to help us out with our event. It is hard to
find current or former athletes that are willing to take time and no money and sign for their fans. I appreciate each one of them doing
what they do for their fans and our community. The night ended with the auction and some free food and drinks. The whole event
was first class and a lot of fun and I just want to thank Jaime for all her help and I hope we can work together next year for such a
great cause.

The Monday trip was to meet Warrick Dunn at his book signing. We brought a lot of different items hoping that his reputation for
being so great in the community would hold true and signing a few autographs after purchasing his book would be no problem. I
have always admired Warrick and how he has his charity set up in three different states and helps get single mothers into new
homes. Warrick is someone I am proud to have my son look up to. The book signing went well and we even got a picture with
Kimberly, Landon, and Warrick. We bought two books and he signed the inside title page of both and he even signed the cover of
one of the books, so I can frame it later on. We waited patiently for him to sign everyone's books and even got a chance to speak
with some of his 30 or so relatives that were waiting for him. Even his family seemed nice and was reassuring that he would be
willing to sign a few extra autographs for us. We kept waiting through his multiple trips to the bathroom and to the back. Finally,
everyone had their books signed and their pictures taken, and then we all lined up waiting to get our items signed. But that didn't
happen. I have never been more disappointed about getting an autograph from an athlete that is so great in our community, but
treated his fans so poorly. I have never understood why someone can't take an extra five minutes and make everyone happy. I wish
him all the luck with his work in the community, but I wish he was more willing to take five minutes for all his fans that spent their
hard earned money on his book and gas to get his autograph and support him. I guess I have to give him the benefit of the doubt,
but my attitude towards him has definitely changed.

On a better note, our second trip was to meet some of the Atlanta Falcons for their FalCan Drive. I am all for anything that helps
out our community. Arthur Blank and the Atlanta Falcons have done an unbelievable job working with and helping out many local
charities. Everything they have done has been first class, and this event was no different. The players that were supposed to attend
were: Michael Turner, Jerious Norwood, Ovie Mughelli, Jamaal Anderson, and John Abraham. Abraham didn't show up, again, but
Mr. Community, DJ Shockley was nice enough to take his place. All five guys that showed up have done many different community
events and have always been nice enough to sign multiple autographs and even take some great pictures. It was probably the longest
line at an Atlanta Falcons event since number seven was here. Obviously, winning cures all and it looks like the support of the team
is back. We ended up getting a couple of group footballs, single footballs, a hat, and a couple of jerseys signed. It was just another
reason to support the Atlanta Falcons and I look forward to their next event.

Danica, Danica, Danica. As far as entertaining athletes, she is definitely up there. We all know that she is good looking, but she
really comes across as very intelligent and just seemed really cool. I really can't say it any better and if you were there, you would
understand, but if you weren't, just trust me. She packed the house at the ESPN Zone and even had a bunch of late comers peaking
through the doorways. While we were waiting for the event to get started, we went and checked out a replica car that she had there
and I have no idea how anyone could fit into that car and then I saw Danica and I saw who could fit in that car. Danica is only about
five feet tall and maybe 100 pounds, but is still really good looking. She started with a very interesting and funny interview and then
she went right into the autographs. The process was a little long because our table was the last one to be called, but was well worth
it. I didn't have to do much convincing, but my friend Dennis went with me and we ended up getting three 8x10 photos, a Sports
Illustrated, and a poster signed. Any time that she comes to town, I will definitely come and check her out again.

Back to the ESPN Zone once again. A great place to hang out, but it isn't exactly right around the corner from me, but it was well
worth it for two of my all time favorite football players, Keith Brooking and Jessie Tuggle. We had a very nice surprise when we got
there; apparently Scott from ESPN Zone was nice enough to have saved us a booth to watch the taping. It was a nice surprise and
Scott is a great guy. On a side note, they are also helping us out with our "Toys for Tots" event, so make sure you keep supporting
them and go check out a show, it is well worth it. After the show started, my son got a little loud and Kimberly had to bring him
outside, but it was kind of cool because he and Keith's son played together for the rest of the night. Kimberly and Keith's wife had
met before, so they chatted, while our kids played together. Jessie and Keith was very fan friendly and took a lot pictures and
signed for everyone. Jessie signed a football, a hat, and a Falcons magnet helmet, while Keith signed a 2006 Pro Bowl jersey and a
Georgia Tech program with him on the front. Every time I go to the ESPN Zone, we have a great time and this time was no
different. Thanks again to Scott and everyone that works there.

The final event of the week was going to the BP Sports Mega Show. We got there just in time to get Otis Nixon's autograph on a
couple of baseballs and even on my Braves multi-signed jersey. The show looked well put together and they had a good variety of
autographed items, cards, vintage sports items, and everything in between. Most of my time was spent talking to all the vendors and
promoting our "Toys for Tots" event, but it didn't stop me from picking up a few items from JT. While we were there, Bobby Cox
and Morten Anderson were signing autographs for a fee, but considering it was a rainy Friday night, the turnout was good. I heard
from some of the vendors that the show went really well and if you missed them, most of them will be at our event. Bob and Bob
always have a lot of good connections, which make all their events great. If you couldn't go this year, put it in your plans for next
year.

While the week was long, it was one of the best weeks for autographs in the past couple of years. Many great autographs and new
memories were had. We got some good pictures and a ton of items signed. I have to give another "Thank You" to all the athletes
that take time out and sign for their fans. And to everyone that I saw over the past week, it was great to see you and I look forward
to seeing you soon. As always, have fun out there and let us know if we can help you out with anything.

Experiences from the Past Week (10/20/08-Atlanta Falcons Training Camp, 10/26/08-Tony Stewart @
Home Depot, Carl Edwards @ Office Depot, Atlanta Hawks-Paint the Town, and Georgia Tech Men's
and Women's Basketball Teams, Atlanta Falcons Football Academy)

It was a busy, but successful week. It had been awhile since we had really spent a lot of time collecting autographs during one
week, but this was one week that we couldn't pass up. We met a lot of great people and hopefully a lot of new people from this
week get a chance to read our stories and will share their own with us. FYI-If you have any good photos, send them on over and I
will add them on.

The week started with a trip to Home Depot to check out Tony Stewart, one last time while he is still forced to sign autographs in
Atlanta. We don't do much NASCAR and one of the reasons is how crazy the fans are for their drivers. We got there about three
hours early and we were about 300 people back from the front of the line. We had about ten people in our group and they
continued to file in as the day went on. NASCAR fans are very loyal, but it is still a little crazy to me to have to camp out for an
autograph, but that shows a true fan. For the first time ever, Tony was in a good mood and was even a little fan friendly. Having
gotten a few signed cars before, we decided to go for a few different items to add to our collection, so we went to his website and
got some really good deals on some of his Home Depot items. Tony was smiling and laughing and was even making fun of some of
his country sounding fans, so he did show a little of his true colors. When we finally got to the front of the line, Tony was making
jokes with us, but still had a chip on his shoulder and that is why I can't root for him, but he is still a pretty good driver. We got
everything that we brought signed: Two posters/pictures, a replica racing jersey, a Home Depot mini-helmet, and a Tony Stewart
hat. Good luck Tony, we hope to see you again signing in Atlanta.

From Home Depot to Office Depot and from one quick tempered driver to the next, our next adventure was to meet Carl Edwards.
And I have to say, Carl was absolutely great! It took a while for the autograph session to get started, but that wasn't Carl's fault
because they were doing interviews with him. The difference on the amount of people between Tony and Carl was huge. Tony did
700 people in two hours and only about 75 people were at the Carl signing. Unlike Tony, Carl was there to be with his fans. Carl
took pictures and stood up the whole time to be closer to his fans and signed whatever you had for him. He stayed past his allotted
time and kept telling everyone how much he appreciated the support of everyone coming out to see him. It makes it really nice to
see someone who understands how much the fan is needed in sports. Our pictures and experiences were some of the best and Carl
definitely has new fans in this household.

Next on the list was the Atlanta Hawks and their hopefully annual, "Paint the Town" event. I wasn't able to go to the Atlanta Hawks
event, but Kimberly, Landon, Nicole, and Adam went and had mixed responses to this event. As always the players and Hawks
employees were late getting started, 15 minutes to be exact and rather than making sure they stayed the whole hour to sign
autographs for their fans, they actually stopped signing early. Jeremy got there with 15 minutes left in the signing and was turned
away by rude police officers. I know the people who did to go through the line, were able to get some good pictures and a bunch of
autographs. We did get most everything signed, but for a team that is screaming for support, they need to do a much better job for
their fans. The whole organization is poorly run and I would love to be able to go there and show them how to treat their fans
because just like Carl Edwards earned new fans, the Hawks lost many more.

Onto to younger and more appreciative athletes, Georgia Tech did their annual Men's and Women's Basketball signing. The signing
was on top of Peter's Parking Deck right next to the football stadium. Since we have season tickets to Georgia Tech football, we
didn't have to go far for the signing and then finished tailgating and went to the game. Both the Men's and Women's team were great
and signed multiple items for all of us. It is nice to get autographs from young athletes and watch their careers grow. I know at least
a handful of the players that we got autographs from, will one day be playing in the pros. Great job Georgia Tech, you put on
another great event.

The final event was a present to Kimberly and Nicole. They had the opportunity to go down to the Georgia Dome and take in the
"Atlanta Falcons Football Academy". For $50 each, they got to do a behind the scenes tour of the facilities, including the locker
room and field. Probably the worst part was the fact that the players talked about football plays and formations and they said it
sounded like another language. Having played at a high level, I can understand that it would be extremely confusing even for
someone who understands the game. The players did this for over two hours and didn't do many questions or a meet and greet. It
was open for both men and women, but it should probably be set up more like the "Braves Baseball 101". It should be for women
only and they should be able to interact with the players and get some autographs. Just my opinion, but I think the Braves have a
good setup with their event. Kimberly and Nicole didn't even get to participate in the drills that were on the field because it was so
late. If they had, it would have been after midnight before they were done and that is tough for anyone during the middle of the
week. It sounds like a bunch of negatives, but they did say they had fun and would do it again next year.

The past couple of weeks were really packed with some good autograph sessions and I look forward to whenever the race is in
town. Keep checking out our site and don't forget about our "Toys for Tots" event coming up in December. Thanks for all the
support and if you have any good pictures or stories about these events or others, send them on over. As always, good luck and
have fun out there.

Experiences from the Past Week (8/23/08-Javier Lopez Signing at Verizon Wireless in Cumming)
By: Chad Blake
This weekend was an easy one, for a change. We decided to go up the street and check out the signing at Verizon Wireless in
Cumming. A great former Brave and ladies favorite, Javier Lopez, was signing autographs. Since it was close to the house and it
was a fan friendly event, we brought the whole family: Chad, Kimberly, Jeremy, and Landon. We met up with some new friends
(Lee, Nicole, and Adam) and by pure chance we ended up in line right next to them, which always makes these events a lot more
fun and makes the time go by quicker. The line went fast and the weather was great. When you go to an event outside of Atlanta,
the lines are usually shorter and you usually find the true fans, so they can be some of the best signings. We had a couple of huge
Javy fans in front of us. One of the ladies had a shirt made just for Javy and this event. She is the same woman who had a shirt that
said, "Javy is Spanish for Yummy!" Javy's female lure was out in effect and this one was no different. When we finally got to the
front of the line, Javy was as nice as can be. As you can see, he took a great picture with Kimberly and Landon and took the time
to autograph a few items for us. He personalized a baseball for a friend of ours (a Javy groupie), signed another baseball with 1996
NLCS MVP, signed two photos, a catcher's helmet, and a Durham Bulls error card, that said "Davy Lopez". Javy was great about
signing and seemed to really enjoy doing it for his fans. After the signing, we all went over to IHOP and had lunch. Once again,
autograph signings are a great way to spend time with the family and make new friends.

Experiences from the Past Week
(8/16/08-Former Atlanta Falcon Jessie Tuggle and 8/17/08-Atlanta Braves vs. San Francisco Giants)
By: Chad Blake
I have to say that I was really looking forward to this weekend and what I thought we could add to our collection. After enjoying a
week away in Hilton Head and finding a couple new memorabilia stores there, which I have to say were a lot nicer than most of the
stores in Atlanta, we decided to come back a day early to get one of my favorite Atlanta Falcons of all time, Jessie Tuggle. The
event was held at a new Sports Authority in Hiram and the store was very accommodating, allowing anyone to bring in outside items
to get signed. Not only was the store great to us, but Jesse was one of the few athletes to be early, and start early for an autograph
session. After a short wait and some good conversations with the people around us, we met the five time pro bowler, Jessie Tuggle.
Jessie was one of the nicest athletes I have had the honor of meeting and was one of the best signers. Jessie signed a football, a
Falcons hat, and even personalized a photo for our son. I thought that Sports Authority and Jessie Tuggle did a great job with the
signing and I would definitely go to any other event they put together.

Onto day two, believe it or not, as long time autograph seekers and Atlanta Braves fans, we have never waited before a game at
Turner Field to try and collect autographs. After talking to a couple of buddies, I was told that we were missing out because of the
great success they had. We have been to other stadiums, spring trainings, and other events, but never to the Ted. We got there at
around 8:30 am and we decided where we would go, my girlfriend, Kimberly, hung out by the Braves parking lot and Jeremy and I
went to the visitor's entrance to see if the Giants would sign for us. Surprisingly, about 15 guys were there, which never helps your
chances, but everyone was talking about how great the Giants players were to sign for them. I am sure it didn't help that it was nine
in morning and the Braves had beat the Giants pretty bad the night before, but we were only able to obtain autographs from, Aaron
Rowand and Pablo Sandoval. Aaron looked a little hung over, but was one of the few who even looked our way, and Pablo signed
everything for everyone. Pablo is a young and up and coming star who seems to understand taking care of the fan is important.
While we didn't have a lot of luck, we were happy with the two we got and wanted to see how Kimberly did. Well, she did great!
The Braves must have been in a good mood because Kimberly was able to get Brian McCann on a baseball and a hat, John Smoltz
on a baseball, Eddie Perez on a hat, and new pitcher Charlie Morton.

It was a little after 10 and needing tickets and wanting to make sure we were close to the front of the line, we left a little early and
waited to get in, just to wait in another line for Phil Niekro and Charlie Leibrandt. We didn't have to wait too long and we ended up
close to the front of the line. Phil and Charlie were very nice and fan friendly. Phil signed a couple of baseballs and a multi-signed
"300 Winners" picture for us. Charlie signed a couple of photos, a card, and a replica batting helmet, and a baseball for us. The day
was going well, so we decided to go and see if we could get any of the Braves to sign down by the dugout. One of the few
autographs we didn't have that we really wanted was Jair Jurrjens, but this was our day and we were able to get two signed
baseballs from him. As an Atlanta Braves fan, you should know the name Walter Banks, but you probably don't because he is an
usher at Turner Field. I had seen a television special about Walter and the fact that he has been an usher with the Braves since
1966, the Braves first year in Atlanta. Since that special, I wanted his autograph and he graciously signed a baseball for me and
even put 66-08. I hope it isn't his last season, but it was a nice piece to get. We didn't need or try to get his autograph, but I have to
add that Buddy Carlyle, who is one of the nicest players on the Braves, signed for almost everyone down the foul line. We were
thrilled with what we added to our collection and it was a long day already, so we decided not to stay for the game, but on our way
out, we stopped by and had Mark Lemke sign his famous "press box fire" picture and a card for us. It was a nice end to a great
day. We added some great pieces to our collection and we look forward to going again really soon.

Falcons 365 Event: Keith Brooking and Michael Boley
My hat is off to Arthur Blank and all of the Atlanta Falcons organization. They have proven again to be a class act. Even if you hate
them on the field, the Falcons ability to try and bring the fans back to rooting for them has been great. They have done multiple
autograph sessions and appearances. They are trying to do everything to bring Atlanta and the fans back on their side. Keith
Brooking (Left) and Michael Boley had missed a previous autograph session, but the Falcons made sure that two of their best
players were there for the fans. Keith and Michael did an exceptional job signing whatever the fans had for them and took the time
to sign and take pictures with every fan and even signed past their allotted time. Keith is a Georgia Tech Alumni, so I have followed
him and getting him today was one of my favorite autographs of all time. Keep building it up Falcons and the fans will come!

John Smoltz and Georgia Tech Signings, 8/2/08
Yesterday was one of my best autograph hunting experiences. Of course, we had three events to choose from: John Smoltz and his
can drive, Georgia Tech's Football Fan Photo Day (The Great Jacket Encounter 2008), and the Atlanta Falcon's Roam the Dome.
Thinking, it may John's last season, we chose to start with him. It cost us 50 cans of food and a two hour wait, but it was for a great
cause and John did an excellent job trying to sign for as many people as he possibly could. Each of us in our party got the maximum
of two autographs, but I was able to add a signed helmet and nice 8x10 of the Brave's Catcher, Greg Olsen, jumping into John's
arms back in the Glory Days. After leaving there, we went up the road to Georgia Tech, where we were able to walk onto the field
and meet any and all of the players from this year's football team, including our new coach, Paul Johnson. This had to be the best
organized and greatest fan day experience for a Georgia Tech fan. I was so impressed with the way the event was laid out and
every group of players were under their own tent and everyone was even given maps of the entire event. Each tent was well marked
with who was there and they even had free magnets and posters in the middle of the field to have signed. We were able to get all the
future draft picks and meet and greet with all the players. Great job Tech, keep it for next year!

Why we started collecting!
I have always been interested in sports and since I was a little boy, I started to collect cards and the occasional autograph. After
settling down and getting ready to have a child, we needed to find something that would interest us both. We enjoyed sports and
meeting players and other fans, so about three years ago, we both decided this would be something we could do as a family. My
wife finds it a challenge to get a player's autograph and I always let her stand in front and I can coach her on what ball to get signed
or hand her a photo or card and although my son isn't quite two, he enjoys the interaction with players and other fans. Our collection
started with many local players and events, but has spread to trips to Spring Training and visiting different stadiums throughout the
Southeast. The Atlanta teams: Georgia Tech, Braves, Falcons, Thrashers, and Hawks; are our favorite teams to root for, but we
enjoy getting around and meeting other teams and their fans. One of the best advantages to collecting memorabilia is being able to
do something fun for the whole family on a budget and you get to bring something home to add to your collection. Plus, we get a ton
of free stuff; tickets, autographs, plane trips, cutting the hair of the athletes. It has really been fun and I look forward to growing our
collection as our son grows with it!

Experiences from the Past Week (August 4-6):
(8/4/08-Atlanta Falcons Training Camp, 8/6/08-Tennessee Titans Training Camp and at Chattanooga
Lookouts vs. Tennessee Smokies)
The week started with little optimism, but trying to help out my cousin see some professional football before he started school was
a promise I had to keep. Not knowing who would be signing, I promised nothing more than at least getting a few autographs after a
hot and humid practice. After speaking with some buddies at 680 The Fan and Dave FM, I spotted the NFL Network
broadcasting there. I noticed that soon to be Hall of Famer, Shannon Sharpe, had taken a break and willfully autographed a great
looking football for me. While I was waiting for him to sign, I noticed he was speaking with no other than former Steelers QB,
Kordell Stewart, who signed a mini football for me. Also there doing the broadcast with Shannon was former 49er, Randy Cross.
Starting the day like this, not only made the rest of the day a bonus, but also added a few nice signed footballs for my collection.
After watching a really great practice, we got lucky because it was the defensive backs and quarterbacks turn to sign for the fans. I
was able to get Lawyer Milloy and Matt Ryan on a couple of hats I brought, plus I got them to sign a mini helmet along with a few
of the other players that were signing that day. This day was a really nice surprise and made my cousin's day with a brand new fully
autographed football to add to his collection.
Monday is over and now comes Wednesday with nothing much to do, so I decided to take a journey somewhere. After deciding
to take a little trip up north to Nashville, I figured I would take in a Titans practice. Checking out the Titans website, it showed
exactly who would be signing, including their first round draft pick, Chris Johnson. After killing some time by going by the, Athlon
Sports Memorabilia Retail Store, where I had to pick up a few autographed items and I have to say they had a great looking
showroom and an unbelievable selection. It was like a kid in a candy store, but my goal was to get my own autographs, so off I
went. The Titan's facility was very nice and fan friendly. Even though I had missed getting Vince Young's autograph, he signed the
day before, I was excited because the St. Louis Rams were in town to practice against the Titans. The practice was a lot of fun to
watch and was a great experience for the fans. After buying a practice worn jersey and a pair of practice pants for a total of only
$35, I was ready to get a few autographs. A nice surprise was Torry Holt came over and signed my football for me. As nice as it
was to get his autograph, always bring a paint pen and leave the silver sharpie at home. The autograph looks good for my collection,
but after one use, the sharpie was done and that is not the first time that has happened. Silver sharpies are good for some things, but
don't forget the paint pen to get the football or basketball signed. The only other items I had to get autographed was a mini helmet,
that I was saving for Chris Johnson, and an all black football and without a good pen, I was stuck to get nothing but the helmet and
used the back of the jersey I bought. I was able to get everyone promised to us, plus Vince Young did make an appearance and
signed my mini helmet. It was a good day, but wasn't over.
After an exciting practice, I headed down south from Nashville and ended up in Chattanooga, where I went to take in a
Chattanooga Lookouts game. Chattanooga (Double A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds) was taking on the Tennessee Smokies
(Double A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs) and even though I didn't arrive until almost 9:30 that night, they were only in the fifth inning.
After a long walk up to get to the stadium, I was able to talk my way in for free and went up and sat down the left field side and
watched one of the more interesting games I have ever seen. The game lasted almost four hours and they had 39 hits, 5 errors, and
the final score was 18-16 with the go ahead run on base right before the final out. To my surprise only two of us were there to get
autographs. Not knowing any of the players except by their numbers, it was nice to have met Scott who lived in Chattanooga and
knew most of the players. I got most everyone I wanted and compiled a combined team ball for my collection. It was a good
looking stadium and a great place to get autographs and/or a foul ball (go there and you will understand). Although it was after
midnight when I left Chattanooga and still a little over two hours to get home, it was a great day and a lot of fun. I got to clear my
head and added a few nice pieces to my collection. I would do it again in a heartbeat and will have to plan a similar trip next year.

Experiences from the Past Week (9/1/08-Final Game of the season for Rome Braves vs. Columbus
Catfish)
By: Chad Blake
I love minor league baseball and seeing baseball at its truest form. We have been to a handful of games this year and have seen a
bunch of great looking prospects for not only the Braves, but also other single and double "A" teams. Collecting autographs from
these guys is usually easy to obtain and you can get up close and personal with them. Since most of these guys are still young, it
makes watching baseball more fun because you get to see what these guys can do as they come up through the minor leagues and
hopefully onto the pros.

Since it was the last game of the year and Labor Day, we couldn't miss it. It was also a day game and fan appreciation day.
Although the Rome Braves employees were ready to go before the game started, the players were very accommodating. Everyone
who stayed after the game got something extra to bring home with them. I am a true believer in women and children first, so I didn't
ask for anything unless it was offered to me. Every child had at least a hat or a bat from the players. We were fortunate to receive
game used hats from Michael Fisher and Chad Rodgers of Rome. Kimberly was able to get a game used bat and batting practice
hats from Chase Fontaine of Columbus. Kimberly also got almost everyone on a team ball from Columbus. Some of my favorite
items to collect are photos, since they are inexpensive (I usually print them myself) and great to display. I was able to get Freddie
Freeman (twice), Jose Ortegano, David Berres, Michael Fisher, Adam Coe, Cody Johnson, and Cole Miles to sign my photos of
them. Freeman and Johnson also signed a ball for me, as did Tommy Palica. I really appreciate all of the players taking their
personal time after each game to sign autographs and send many of the fans home with memories that will last a lifetime.

On a personal level, Kimberly and I have had some great date nights at State Mutual Stadium and watching the Rome Braves. Once
again it was a great day and a lot of fun. I really look forward to next year's team and all the new prospects that will emerge. Seeing
minor league baseball brings a lot more errors, more strikeouts, and a lot more of kids being kids. If you haven't gone yet, it is a
must for any baseball fan. I look forward to seeing you there next year!

Experiences from the past Labor Day Weekend (Nicole and Lee traveled up to see: Baltimore Orioles,
Washington Nationals vs. Atlanta Braves, and Richmond Braves.)
By: Nicole and Lee
We had a great time but unfortunately didn't get many autographs. We got into D.C. on Friday and toured the city a little bit. The
weather wasn't that great. On Saturday morning we drove up to Baltimore to tour Camden Yards. The orioles were on a long road
trip when we went so we didn't get to catch a game but the tour was awesome! We got great pictures and have some cool stories
we want to share!

After the tour we drove from Baltimore back to D.C (only 18 miles but took about an hour!) The game was at 7:10 so we got there
right when the gates opened. We wanted to stand outside the player's garage but weren't able to. The Nationals batting practice
was NOTHING like it is at Turner Field. It was disappointing that the Nats didn't even interact with their fans. The whole time we
were there they threw maybe ten balls into the stands. We did get "lucky" under those circumstances because Lee yelled out to
Willie Harris and told him that we drove from Kennesaw. (Willie played baseball for KSU a couple of yrs ago) So Willie came over
and he was talking with us and we showed him a KSU newspaper that we brought which he was in. He signed that for us and that
was the only thing that he signed. I felt bad for the Nats fans around us because he didn't even acknowledge them, but he signed for
us. We also got a ball signed from Odalis Perez which was cool. He was extremely nice and signed for about 30 fans. Other than
Willie and Odalis, that's it for the Nationals and their autographs.

Then the braves got on the field for practice which was a lot more fun. We painted a sign that said, "We drove 700 miles to see the
Braves". Tavarez, Nunez, Gonzalez, and a couple others talked with us while warming up. Gonzalez signed a ball for us and Blanco
and Tavarez threw us a ball and even pointed to us beforehand but the same Nats fan stole it from us! It's no big deal though. The
game was about to start so we headed to our seats. At first we were going to buy $20-$30 seats but then we decided that since we
drove so far that we would get the best seats possible. We ended up finding seats on stubhub that were 8 rows back from the
Braves dugout. (People kept asking us if we planned that, which got really old. Glen Hubbard saw our sign and threw us a ball and
waved. Martin Prado threw us a ball and waved too. It was cool because they saw our sign and smiled at us. The game went into
extras and the Nats won in the tenth. It was a tough loss but a great game! We were so tired after the game that we decided to go
ahead and get on the train and head back to the hotel. I wish we would have stayed to see if we could have gotten autographs from
the Nationals.

Sunday morning we woke up and did out last bit of touring around DC and then headed to Richmond around 11:30. It was and
hour and a half drive and the gates didn't open until 1:00 for a 2:00 game. The drive took longer than expected so we didn't get
there until right at 2:00. The stadium and crowd were nothing like we had expected. We were right behind the Braves dugout but
had no luck getting a ball from them or anything. After they won, they hung around for a bit and we got one autograph, which was
better than nothing. Francisely Bueno signed for us before heading out. There were so many people there since it was the second to
last game there so again, we didn't wait outside for them to come out. We didn't have much luck with autographs before the game at
both games so we kind of gave up. Also, we weren't sure where to go at either park? We asked several people and they had no
clue. The Nationals fans were something else, but it was a great trip and we look forward to our next one!

Experiences from the Past Two Weeks (9/7/08-Atlanta Falcons Training Camp, 9/21/08-Atlanta Braves
Power Lunch, Leo Mazzone, Falcons Face to Face, Goose Gossage, Thomas Brown and Erik Coleman
at Publix, Future Stars, and Alumni Sunday.)

Hello again! It has been awhile since I have written anything, but mainly because we have been so busy over the last two weeks.
We had a ton of success and got a bunch of pictures, so I will do my best to tell the best stories and put up the best pictures. There
was so much going on, we missed two Falcons signings at Shoe Carnival in Duluth, Otis Nixon in Marietta, William Andrews in
Duluth, and Jair Jurrjens at BP Sports in Marietta. Most of our recent success was wrapping up the Atlanta Braves and baseball
season, but we did fit in a little football along the way.

I guess I will start with our experience with the Braves Power Lunch. I hate to say it but this was probably the most disappointing
event we attended over the last two weeks. I can honestly say that I will never go to another Power Lunch and we even contacted
the Braves about how poorly it was handled and the situation that we had. To tell a little about the situation I have to add a few
points, Hank Aaron is a member of the Atlanta Braves organization, which the fans support and pay for, so he needs to realize that
he needs to give back and get over his attitude towards the people who do support him because most people who have been
around him lately have been turned off. If he doesn't want to sign autographs at events that is his prerogative, but at least take the
time to take a picture and meet the fans. My family and friends are definitely over him and his attitude. I will leave it at that and say
that we did get some good things out of it and that is more fun to talk about than the latter. The panel consisted of Terry Pendleton,
Josh Anderson, Clint Sammons, and the former number 44. The lunch itself was held at Maggiano's and the food was alright, but
sharing dishes of food with strangers is always a little odd to me. The players answered some questions and for the most part did an
entertaining job doing so. After the luncheon we all received gift bags with an autographed hat and some other little goodies. We
ended up with two Pendleton hats and one Sammons hat. Josh Anderson and Clint Sammons were nice enough to hang out and
sign a couple of autographs and take some pictures. At least some of our players understand that it just takes a few minutes to
accommodate the fans. And because of that we will be cheering for these guys the rest of their careers!

I almost forgot about the Leo Mazzone signing. That was probably because no one showed up and it was poorly advertised. Why
would someone pay a lot of money and bring someone up to their location and not advertise? Anyways, Leo was the same guy that
you saw rocking and cracking up in the dugout. He was even telling, albeit a little off color, funny stories of some of the players that
I had in the photos that he signed for us. He personalized a ball for my son and one for Jeremy. And had no problem signing about
four pictures I had. I bet you he could keep you quite entertained with everything he has done and seen in baseball. I know it
probably won't happen, but if the pitching coach spot ever opens up here in Atlanta, I would want him back in a heartbeat!

On our next outing we went to the ESPN Zone and checked out the Falcons Face to Face. We actually went to the past two
weeks there and saw Michael Turner and John Abraham. The show only takes about 30 minutes to tape and is quite entertaining. If
you haven't been to a taping, I would highly recommend it. Not only was it interesting to hear the players talk about their careers,
but each one of them stayed afterwards and took pictures and signed autographs for everyone that wanted them. If it wasn't so far
from us, I could honestly go every week because the event is fun, the food is good, and the staff is very accommodating.

The Abraham signing was the same day as the Goose Gossage signing, so it was a busy day. We got there a little early and we were
lucky enough to get Ryan Howard and Brad Lidge to sign for us as they entered the ballpark. After that we went to Monument
Grove in front of the stadium and waited for Goose to come out. It was a short line and it went quickly with my buddies Chad,
Nicole, and Lee waiting with us. We got a few baseballs and bats signed for us all. Goose took his time on every autograph and
was willing to inscribe whatever you wanted. Goose still looks like he could intimidate some hitters, but was as nice as can be to all
the fans that came out for an autograph and a hand shake.
As we continued to our next adventure, I must add that the Atlanta Falcons are once again giving back to the community and their
fans. Kraft foods and Publix have done a lot with the Falcons. This past Friday, Erik Coleman and Thomas Brown were out at a
Duluth Publix signing autographs and taking pictures. The guys signed a few photos and I got a lot of things signed for family and
friends from Brown. Although I am a huge Tech fan, Thomas Brown was a pretty good guy. Obviously, the Falcons have realized
that getting an intelligent and talented athlete can be found in the league and these two players were great examples of that. As
always, keep it up Falcons, your fans appreciate what you are doing!

This past weekend was a busy one. It started early on Saturday to get ready and tailgate down at Georgia Tech. My buddy Dennis
and I went down to Atlanta and prepared for a long day to come. After Tech dominated the Mississippi State Bulldogs, we decided
to go down to the Ted a little early. (While we were at Tech, Kimberly went down to the CNN Center and got a few autographs
from Josh Anderson. She got a bat, photo, and batting glove signed and authenticated.) When we got to the Braves we met up with
Lee and Nicole and we were all lucky enough to get Tom Glavine before the game and then we went in to check out the 12 Future
Stars of the Atlanta Braves minor league teams. All of the guys were really good about signing and it is always interesting to get
minor league guys and to watch and see what they do as their baseball careers grow. After the signing, we were able to get onto the
field and walk around. It was a great experience and we enjoyed every minute of it, plus we borrowed a little dirt from the field to
add to our collection. We had to call it an early day at the park, so we could go back to the house and watch football and try and
rest up a little before leaving early for the Braves last home game.

The alarm went off early, 6:30 am, but we were going to give it one last shot to get the Braves before the game. We had a bigger
group this day: Dennis, Jeremy, Nicole, and Lee, while Kimberly and Kevin joined us a little later. Even though I only got about six
hours of sleep, the entire weekend, we pushed ahead and got there before any of the players got there. Being the last home game
and fan appreciation weekend, I was a little disappointed that only three guys came over and signed: Josh Anderson, Ruben Gotay,
and Brent Lillibridge. My hat is off to these guys who were nice enough to sign for just about everyone there. After a little bit of
luck, we went to the front of the stadium to wait in line for the Sunday Alumni signing. (It is a lot like the military, wait in line, run to
another line, wait in line, and finally move slowly to the front.) The Sunday lineup included: Hall of Famer Bruce Sutter, Former
Slugger Bob Horner, and Former Pitcher Gene Garber. All the guys were nice and did a good job signing. After the signing, the girls
went down and got a few autographs by the bullpen, including Brian McCann and Roger McDowell. We roamed around the
stadium and even though we had great seats, we only stayed in them about an inning because we felt like we were going to fall
asleep. After waking up, we moved onto the "Braves Foundation Sale" in the Hank Aaron room. The game was almost over, so we
figured we could negotiate some deals. Kevin bought a signed picture of Knowshon Moreno, Matthew Stafford, and Mark Richt
for $450. The rest of us were a little more reasonable, Nicole and Lee bought a signed, game used bat for $30 and Jeremy got
some broken bats for $5 to $10. Kimberly is a big Kyle Davies fan, so we had to negotiate a game used and signed jersey down to
$80 and we got a game used bat of Davies for $25. We also got signed hats from Edgar Renteria and Willie Harris and got a few
broken bats to add to our collection. After the Braves beat the Mets, we went to wait for them to get on the bus to go to the
airport. Get away days are usually a great way to get autographs, but they changed the policy and the players and staff had to go
through airport security before they got on the bus and were not allowed to come over and sign autographs, but Terry Pendleton
and Buddy Carlyle did get a few autographs in before security stopped them. The best part of the day was the hazing of the rookies
that were forced to dress up like women and other various things. It was very interesting and funny as you can see by the pictures.

The last two weeks are over and I am still tired! Not only did we go and do all the autograph events, but on Tuesday, we went to
Sam Baker's wedding and got to hang out with him and his family. Once again the Falcons did an awesome job on drafting a man
that comes from a very loving and intelligent family. Sam is not only a great player, but more importantly is great human being and is
great for Atlanta and the Falcons! We collected a lot of memorabilia, pictures, and memories. Although we do collect for all of these
reasons, the most important one is the memories that will last us a lifetime. As always, good luck out there, be nice and courteous to
everyone, and most importantly have fun!

Experiences from the Past Week (10/6/08-10/12/08-Atlanta Thrashers Training Camp, Tuesday and
Thursday/ Alonzo Mourning, Friday/ Chipper Jones, Matt Duff, and Willie Robertson of the Buck
Commanders)

A busy, but good week! The week started with a couple of trips to the Thrashers practice facility up in Duluth. If you like hockey,
then you have to go and check out a practice. Although, their training camp is over, they still list all of their practices on their
website. Make sure you check it before you leave and realize that they don't always follow that schedule. All that aside, we had a
lot of luck over just two days. Not only are the practices fun to watch, but the Thrashers are extremely fan friendly. Over the two
days we were able to get a signed puck from all of the players, head coach, and their general manager. We also got a Kari
Lehtonen signed jersey and signed figurine. Kari is one of the best representatives a professional team could have. On Tuesday, we
had our son Landon with us and he enjoyed running around and watching the players skate. Jim Slater even stopped and offered
our son an extra stick that he had. Not only did Jim give him his stick, but he also found a towel and dried off the stick and signed it
for him. Our experience with Jim was definitely one of our best fan experiences and he will have an extra cheering section for the
rest of the time he plays. I also went on Thursday with a couple of friends, I finished up our puck collection and we also worked on
getting a team signed stick (got all, but two players), a single signed stick from Ilya Kovalchuk, and a goalie stick signed by both
Johan Hedberg and Kari Lehtonen. All of the players were quite accommodating, including all of the stars of the team. The
Thrashers were great and it is definitely worth taking a trip up there.

The next venture was to a book signing with Alonzo Mourning of the Miami Heat. Book signings can be hit or miss, but you are
always insured an autograph with the purchase of their book. This book signing had about 75 people show up, mostly Georgetown
Hoya fans. Alonzo showed up on time, but wasn't really into doing it. I was able to get a basketball to add to our collection and
even got a picture with Zo and me. I was a little surprised how stand offish he was. He didn't even stand up or move forward for the
picture, but at least he smiled. Zo's story is a very interesting one and he has lived a very inspiring and successful life. I am glad I was
able to meet him and he was a nice add to our collection.

Our last and most interesting signing was a trip to Auburn, Alabama, where we were not 100% sure of what to expect. What and
who were we waiting for? Well initially we knew that Chipper Jones, Matt Duff, and Willie Robertson, who own a company called
"Buck Commanders", were doing a signing, but we weren't sure what they were signing. Everyone knows who Chipper Jones is,
but a little background on the other guys; Willie is a very popular television hunting personality and Matt does the same thing and
even had a short stint with the St. Louis Cardinals. Knowing that Chipper rarely does autograph signings, we had to take a chance,
so we had a group of four of us and we took the over two hour trip to Auburn's Academy Sports and Outdoors. We got there
almost three hours early and weren't even the first one's there. Carlos and his father beat us there, but without any line started, we
were the first six in line. I had never been to an Academy Sports and Outdoors before and we were pleasantly surprised by the
store and I can't wait until they build one in Atlanta. (Imagine a Wal-Mart sized sporting goods store with reasonable prices and a
huge selection.) The signing was actually set up in a back room that held most of their hunting stands, which made since considering
what the signing was for. The line was guaranteed to the first 300 people, but Chipper was willing to do more than one autograph at
a time, at least at the beginning. Since we were at the front of the line, we got some great looking signatures. I have to say that I felt
bad for the other guys, but I did have a picture of Matt that he signed and a few people had some of his cards. Willie was a crowd
favorite for some of the younger hunters who have seen him on television. But most everyone was there for Chipper. After we got
our first autographs, we jumped back in line and still were in the first 200 people. Chipper signed for two hours and was really nice
to all the women and children, a little different with the older guys, but all and all a lot better than his usual reputation with the fans.
Chipper signed our 2008 All-Star Jersey and added "6 Time All-Star", he signed three baseballs for us, and also two bats and
added "2008 Batting Champ" to one of the bats. It was a really long day with all the driving added in, but it was a fun trip with great
company. On the way home, we listened to end of the Atlanta Falcons game and heard them win on a last second field goal. It was
a nice win to a fun day. I have to thank Academy and all their employees for putting on such a good event. Not only did we get
some great autograph pieces this week, but we have the memories and pictures to add as well.

One of our Best Experiences!
It was probably a couple of years ago with Cal Ripken Jr. at a book signing. He had just retired and had stopped in Atlanta to sign
his book and attend a Braves game. His agent kept pushing things along, but just like his streak, he finished signing for everyone.
Not just the book, but Cal took his own personal time to sign anything extra the fans brought. Not knowing he was doing this, we
ended at the end of the line, but Cal not only took pictures with us (four of them), but also signed four baseballs I just happened to
have in my car. Before every signature, Cal took the pen or marker and marked his hand, just to make sure that everyone got a
great autograph. Also, not thinking about it at the time, my wife was pregnant with our first born, so technically this was our first
picture with an athlete and the whole family. His interaction with us and the people around just made for one of the best events of
our lives.